HMAS Farncomb

Farncomb arriving at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii ahead of the RIMPAC 2012 exercise
Farncomb arriving at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii ahead of the RIMPAC 2012 exercise
History
Australia
NameFarncomb
NamesakeRear Admiral Harold Farncomb
BuilderAustralian Submarine Corporation, Osborne
Laid down3 March 1991
Launched15 December 1995
Commissioned31 January 1998
HomeportFleet Base West, Perth
Motto"With Skill and Resolve"
StatusActive as of 2018
BadgeShip's badge
General characteristics
Class and typeCollins-class submarine
Displacement
  • 3,051 tonnes (surfaced)
  • 3,353 tonnes (submerged)
Length77.42 m (254.0 ft)
Beam7.8 m (26 ft)
Draught7 m (23 ft) at waterline
Installed power3 × Garden Island-Hedemora HV V18b/15Ub (VB210) 18-cylinder diesel motors, 3 × Jeumont-Schneider generators (1,400 kW, 440-volt DC)
Propulsion
  • Main: 1 × Jeumont-Schneider DC motor (7,200 shp), driving 1 × seven-bladed, 4.22 m (13.8 ft) diameter skewback propeller
  • Emergency: 1 × MacTaggart Scott DM 43006 retractable hydraulic motor
Speed
  • 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) (surfaced and snorkel depth)
  • 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) (submerged)
Range
  • 11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km; 13,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) (surfaced)
  • 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) (snorkel)
  • 32.6 nautical miles (60.4 km; 37.5 mi) at 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) (submerged)
  • 480 nautical miles (890 km; 550 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) (submerged)
Endurance70 days
Test depthOver 180 m (590 ft) (actual depth classified)
Complement
  • Originally 42 (plus up to 12 trainees)
  • Increased to 58 in 2009
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Radar:
  • GEC-Marconi Type 1007 surface search radar
  • Sonar:
  • Thales Scylla bow and distributed sonar arrays
  • Thales Karriwarra or Namara towed sonar array
  • ArgoPhoenix AR-740-US intercept array
  • Combat system:
  • Modified Raytheon CCS Mk2
Armament
  • 6 × 21-inch (530 mm) bow torpedo tubes
  • Payload: 22 torpedoes, mix of:
  • Mark 48 Mod 7 CBASS torpedoes
  • UGM-84C Sub-Harpoon anti-ship missiles
  • Or: 44 Stonefish Mark III mines
NotesThe sonars and combat system are in the process of being updated across the class, to be completed by 2010. These characteristics represent the updated equipment.

HMAS Farncomb (SSG 74) is the second of six Collins-class submarines operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Named for Rear Admiral Harold Farncomb, the submarine was laid down in 1993 and launched in December 1995—the first submarine to be completely constructed in Australia. A combination of factors led to Farncomb being the only vessel of her class in operational condition in mid-2009.